


The Dog Swap

by Linisen



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Communication, Dog Swap, Fluff, It Gets Better, M/M, Pining, Soulmates, Vicchan Lives, i know i can't believe it either, sad boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27413947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linisen/pseuds/Linisen
Summary: “Yuuri, you need to come home,” Mari said, and Yuuri sat up from his lying position, uneasiness filling his body. “Something’s happened.”“What?” Yuuri asked, his heart starting to race in his chest. Mari fell quiet for a moment, and Yuuri waited with bated breath, his mind already starting to run away with him.“It’s Vicchan,” she said, and Yuuri’s heart clenched tightly. “He’s grown like five sizes.” The line fell quiet again, and Yuuri stared at his dorm wall, right at a poster of Victor and Makkachin, trying to figure out what Mari had just said. “He’s also light brown and acting really weird, like not himself. He’s also a girl. She kind of looks like…”“Makkachin?”
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 51
Kudos: 589
Collections: SFW Viktuuri Bookmarks





	The Dog Swap

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lindabagel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lindabagel/gifts).



> This is for lindabagel, who wanted a dog swap fic. This is a soulmate AU where - if you meet but don’t connect - you’ll start training things with each other to find your way back to one another. I hope you enjoy it.

Victor smiled, even though it felt more like a grimace. Did it look charming? It was supposed to. The person in front of him laughed, patting his shoulder too roughly. Had the sponsor had too much to drink? It was probable. Victor smiled again, still stiff and void of any real emotion. No one seemed to notice however, or if they did they didn’t care enough to comment. Victor pushed the thought aside, and tried to push down the voice of the reporter from the panel earlier, who had asked him what everyone wanted to know. 

_ “What are your plans for next season?” _

Just the echo of the question made a deep dark pit open up in his stomach. He had no idea. For a couple of years now his inspiration had been dwindling, and now it felt like there was nothing new, nothing exciting to grasp on to and for him to say with his skating. Had he run out of expressions? Had he already shown everything there was in his heart? Stammi Vicino had been a call out for something-anything-to come fill the void in his chest, and yet nothing had. 

He was still hollow. Still lonely. Still cold. 

He took a sip of the alcohol free champagne, fighting against the impulse to smack his lips at the overly sweet taste. He was only allowed one glass on his diet, and he was currently debating whether it was worth it. They were still mid season, and Victor needed to keep on top of his game and be in pique shape. There were still Nationals, and then Euros, and then Worlds. After that, there was planning for next season, as well as ice shows. 

Victor looked across the room, grateful that Yakov had taken over speaking to the sponsor so he didn’t need to pretend to be paying attention anymore. It felt like he had held this conversation before. It was as if his life was on repeat, going over and over with nothing to…

Brightness filled Victor’s vision, and his glass slipped from his grip onto a table as he was drawn closer. There was a man on what was usually the space for mingling, seeming to have turned into a makeshift dance floor. Everything about him was bright, and warm, and like a moth to a flame Victor was drawn towards him. He needed to be close to him, like a tugging of his heart. His heart, that was beating faster and faster, as if awoken after having slowly drifted into slumber. 

Victor recognized him, was sure he had seen him before. It was hard now to know from where, all Victor knew was that he needed to know him better. The man turned, and his expression turned from fierce determination to pure joy. Victor’s heart stopped in his chest from the sight, before rushing to catch up. 

“Victor!” he cheered, and he reached his hand out towards Victor. It was so easy to slip his hand into the grip of the other man, their hands feeling so right sliding against each other. A sense of belonging echoed in Victor’s chest, and he stepped closer to the man, curling their fingers together. “Dance with me!”

“What’s your name?” Victor asked, breathless and dizzy. The man scrunched up his nose in the most adorable way, and spun Victor around and then away from him. Their hands slipped apart, and suddenly the hollow emptiness was back in Victor’s chest. 

“Yuuri,” the man laughed, stepping closer again. “Are you going to dance with me, Victor?”

“Yes,” Victor asked, breathless and falling. “Lead me.”

________________________

Victor came back to Russia with inspiration bursting through his seams. He suddenly longed for the ice in a new-old way, feeling almost nostalgic as his blades hit the ice. He had so much to say again, so much feeling in his chest that needed to get out. So he skated, and created, and relived the night of the banquet over and over, etching it into his mind. He pushed all his emotions into his new performances, even though he was in the middle of the season and he should be working on perfecting his other skates. It didn’t matter. None of the old mattered. His full focus was that Yuuri had seen him, and seen other sides of Victor than anyone ever had recognized. He had always been convinced he could never be more than a skater, and perhaps if he was lucky, a choreographer. 

No one had ever asked him to be their coach. 

The thought made happiness burst in Victor's system. He wanted that. He wanted to lift Yuuri from the ground and make him soar. He wanted to step in and make him believe in himself as much as Victor did. He wanted to bring out all there was inside Yuuri, and make him shine. He devoured everything Katuski Yuuri, and planned and then waited. 

And waited. 

But no call came. 

At first it was easy to excuse. Yuuri was busy, making plans in Detroit, and would contact him later. It was fine. They were both in the middle of the season, and Victor could prepare as Yuuri prepared, and then they would come together again. Victor kept his high spirits, and told Makka everything about Yuuri, the poodle listening intently as Victor went on and on, showing clip after clip of Yuuri with rapt attention. She was the sweetest dog.

Victor’s favourite tea cup disappeared, but while it bugged him that he couldn’t have his morning and evening tea in it each day, it was fine. He found a cup he had no memory of having on the counter one day, and even though he didn’t remember where he had gotten it, he liked it. He assumed it had been at the back of the cupboard and that the dog sitter had found it. It was nice, with a cute flowery pattern. 

Nationals came, and Victor fought to keep himself at the top of the podium. He still hadn’t heard from Yuuri, but in case there was something in the communication faltering, he knew he would see him at Worlds. He had to keep working, and then it would all be alright. 

Yuuri fought his way through his own nationals, and Victor’s heart ached with each and every fall he took on the ice. Yuuri was a fighter, and he never gave up even as he looked defeated stepping off the ice. Victor wanted to be there. He needed to be there. 

Why hadn’t Yuuri called?

Victor was starting to wonder if he was losing grip of things. One day he stepped off the ice, and wasn’t able to find his skate guards. The purple and black were nowhere to be seen, and instead there was a pair of red and black in their place. Victor didn’t think he had seen them before, and there had been no one else at the rink that could have taken the wrong one. Was he really as aloof as little Yuri always said?

He arrived home one day, unable to find his own keys in his bag, but being able to fish out another set, one he was sure he didn’t recognize. They certainly weren't his. There was a cute poodle charm on them though. He smiled as he looked over it, and then sighed and walked down the hall to his neighbor to ask her to open the door with the spare. 

“I have no idea where I could have put them,” Victor said with a chuckle, turning the unfamiliar keys in his hands. “I must be too stressed.”

“Those look rather strange,” his neighbor said as he looked over the keys, before turning back to rummage a large bowl of things that seemed to belong nowhere. “They remind me of the keys the family had when I lived as a nanny in the US for a year.”

“The US?” Victor asked, and then looked closer. The key heads did have a rather odd shape, and Victor was fairly sure he had never seen any keys that looked like it before. 

“Yes,” she agreed, finally seeming to dig out Victor’s spare key from the bowl. “Maybe it’s your soulmate’s keys.”

“My soulmate?” Victor laughed, accepting the key as it was handed over. “Isn’t that just a myth?”

“Oh not at all,” she said with a knowing gleam in her eye. “Have you met someone recently that you felt a deep connection to instantly, but had to be separated from?”

Victor stared at her, his heart beating too roughly in his chest. He hadn’t told her about Yuuri. He hadn’t told anyone about Yuuri. His rink mates knew of course, but none of them really mentioned the banquet anymore. 

“I-” Victor started, but had nothing to say in terms of correcting her. Yuuri had been bright and warm when Victor had felt hollow and cold. He had taken Victor’s hand and led him through dance, and had made him smile and laugh and open up his heart so quickly it had almost seemed like a dream. Victor, who had become an expert in keeping people at arm's length, not letting anyone in but still making them feel as if they knew him. 

Everything about Yuuri had been different. 

“I know that look,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “I hope you reconnect soon.”

“Me too,” was all Victor could say. It was too earnest, but the words simply tumbled out of his mouth uninhibited. Victor looked away in embarrassment, and then hurried out with the key clasped tightly in his grip. 

The next week, his Stami Vicino phone case had been traded for a blue one with poodles. He had gone to bed, plugged the device in, and when he woke up, a case he knew belonged to Yuuri was covering his own phone. It seemed they had the same type of phone. 

This was not the craziest occurrence of course. It was one week after Worlds, and Victor had cried himself to sleep the night before, his face pressed into Makka’s fur, from not having met Yuuri at the competition. Victor was at a loss in what to do now. He woke feeling hollow and empty again, and let out a deep sigh. There was a whine beside him, and he reached out to run his fingers through her fur, but couldn't find her. With a frown he turned, and then shot up to a sitting position, staring down at … an unfamiliar dog in his bed.

“Makka, did you shrink?” he asked, and an adorably cute toy poodle looked up at him with wide eyes. They were smaller, and their fur was darker, and yeah they were definitely a boy. 

Definitely not Makka. 

__________________________________

Yuuri was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling of his dorm room. He knew he should get up and do something, but any motivation to leave the bed was completely void in his system. He had lost count on how many hours he had spent here, staring up, trying to decide if he was going to keep competing in skating. 

The thoughts had been festering in his mind ever since he had come in fourth in the GPF, the pressure of sharing the ice with Victor having been too much for him to handle. He found himself drowning in anxiety, and afterwards Victor didn’t even acknowledge him as a competitor, but assumed he was just some stray fan hanging back at the arena looking for selfies. 

Yuuri had hoped that he would be able to take the ice and show Victor how much he had inspired him through the years, how much he and his skating had meant to him. Instead he had crumbled under the pressure, and now he wasn’t sure if he could build himself up. It would be heartbreaking after all, trying to reach him again and then never being able to come close to Victor a second time.

Yuuri had crumbled again during Nationals, and therefore missed out on Worlds. Perhaps it was all the better. He had been a mess lately. He kept losing things, like skate guards and keys and his favourite cup, and he had even ordered a new phone case he didn’t remember purchasing or putting on his phone, and still it was there - a perfect replica of Victor's own Stammi Vicino phone case decorating his own phone. 

So maybe it was better that he hadn’t been skating the last part of the season. He would surely have hurt himself and maybe even someone else if he did. 

Beside him on the bed, his phone started ringing, and even though he considered not answering, he reached out and pressed the green button under Mari’s name. His sister rarely called him, and maybe hearing her voice would settle him a bit… or it would just remind him of how much he had disappointed his family. 

“Mochi Mochi,” he said, and heard the bustle of the onsen behind her. A sense of nostalgia settled over his chest. It had been too long since he had been home. Maybe soon he would have to, if he decided to not continue skating. 

“Yuuri, you need to come home,” Mari said, and Yuuri sat up from his lying position, uneasiness filling his body. “Something’s happened.”

“What?” Yuuri asked, his heart starting to race in his chest. Mari fell quiet for a moment, and Yuuri waited with bated breath, his mind already starting to run away with him. 

“It’s Vicchan,” she said, and Yuuri’s heart clenched tightly. “He’s grown like five sizes.” The line fell quiet again, and Yuuri stared at his dorm wall, right at a poster of Victor and Makkachin, trying to figure out what Mari had just said. “He’s also light brown and acting really weird, like not himself. He’s also a girl. She kind of looks like…”   
“Makkachin?”

____________________________

Yuuri wasn’t sure what prompted him to think it was Makka when Mari called. He tried to convince himself that it was because he had been looking at that poster of her. It played like a mantra in his mind over and over as he packed his sparse belongings and left Detroit for Hasetsu. There was no way it actually was Makkachin, because that would be insane. Surely there had to be a natural explanation, surely… 

Yuuri stepped through the door of his childhood home, Minako still talking as they stopped to remove their shoes, and was barreled over onto the floor by a huge brown poodle. She was at least five times Vicchan’s size, and her paws were heavy on his chest as she licked over his face happily, as if she had been waiting for him to come. 

“Makkachin!” he exclaimed without even thinking, and the dog barked happily, giving his nose a final lick before jumping off his chest. Yuuri pushed up to sit, only to see her sitting beside him, her tail wagging happily as she looked at him. She looked just like Makkachin. Yuuri would know. He had seen every photo Victor had shared of her on social media. Still, it couldn’t be - right?

“What do you think?” Mari asked as she appeared, a smirk on her lips. “She only answers to Makka.”

“It has to be a coincidence right, or a mistake?” Yuuri said, and couldn’t help but reach out to run his fingers through her fur. It was soft, and he smiled as she shuffled closer, panting happily.

“If you say so,” Mari said with a far too knowing expression, and then jerked her head to the side. “Come on, let’s get you settled in.”

Makka trotted after him happily as Yuuri made his way through his childhood home, and he couldn’t really take his eyes off her. She was clearly not Vicchan, both in looks and in the way she moved. Makka was like a huge puppy, bouncing around him as if completely unaware of her size. Vicchan had always been calm, a solid presence by Yuuri’s side. 

Where was he now? It was the one thing Yuuri had been trying not to think about. It hurt too much, to think something might have happened. The other option was just as mind spinning, because if this was Makkachin, then that meant Vicchan might be with Victor -- and that was far too much for Yuuri to handle. That would mean that … It was better to simply ignore it. 

Yuuri settled in, and Makka stayed by his side as Mari left. It was nice. She was nice. 

“Are you a good girl,” Yuuri cooed, running his fingers through her fur. He hid his face in her brown curls, and it felt so nice. He hadn’t felt comforted like this in a long time. Makka sat still for a moment, except her thumping tail, but then grew restless and started licking all over his face again. Yuuri laughed, the sound startling him. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed. 

“You want to go outside?” he asked, and Makka barked happily. Yuuri laughed again, and then pushed off the bed. “Do you like the beach?” he asked, and then headed out. 

Makka, or whoever she was, loved the beach. Even in the cold March weather she chased the waves, and the seagulls, and Yuuri got coaxed into joining her in a game of tug with a stick she found. It was freeing, playing and running and getting breathless, not from training, but from play. 

When they headed back towards the onsen they were both wet, and Yuuri was very cold, but he felt better then he had in a long time. 

Makka stayed by his side, and each night when he settled for bed she jumped onto it and cuddled close, as if there was no doubt in her mind that she belonged there. It was really nice, and Yuuri hugged her close as he fell asleep, feeling comforted by her warmth. 

She followed him around everywhere too, and even if everyone gave him odd looks for having a new, very large dog, no one asked questions. Yuuko was the only one who looked questioning as Makka trailed after him into the ice rink, once he had managed to summon enough courage to go there.

“What are you feeding that puppy?” she asked with a frown, glancing down at Makka who was sniffing her way around the rink lobby. “I didn’t think dogs grew that late in life.”

Yuuri ignored the question, and managed instead to ask if he could show Yuuko something. She agreed, and then they walked down to the ice where Yuuri had learned to skate. He had no idea how many hours he had spent here, carving out figures into the ice, but it still felt like home as he put his blades on the cold surface and slid to the center.

“Please watch me,” he asked, and then skated. 

Two days later the cherry blossoms bloomed, and Yuuri took Makka to the lookout place, smiling as she played in the scattered petals on the ground. She was a lovely companion, even when she stole food from the kitchen or barred him over. 

“Makka,” he called, and she perked up and rushed to him, jumping up on the bench. Yuuri turned to her and ran his fingers through her fur, and smiled.

Behind them, the shutter off a camera went off. 

  
  
  


_______________________

The tiny poodle was adorable. He curled up closely to Victor at all times when he was allowed to, but he always waited until Victor gave him permission. He was calm and collected, and often looked at Victor quizzically as he moved around, as if trying to understand what he was doing. 

Victor loved him endlessly within a day. 

It was lovely having a dog he could carry in his arms, and after the first day spent together he had already taken to carrying the puppy around in his embrace as if he was a baby. It was amazing. The puppy seemed to like it too. He licked over Victor’s nose, happily, and fell asleep there most of the time, cuddled to Victor’s chest. 

Victor took him everywhere, and noticed that having a small dog meant he got away with bringing them to most things. Makka was not allowed at the rink because Yakov claimed she was ‘too big’, but this little baby was. No one really said anything as long as the dog sat or laid quietly by the benches, and after just a few days everyone was in love with him - even Yakov. 

Victor could not blame them at all. 

It was weird, not having Makkachin there, but for some reason Victor wasn’t that worried. A part of him knew she was okay, and he really hoped that gut feeling was right. 

Having the puppy with him at all times made Victor feel more centered. He couldn’t let his mind run away too much, because he had someone to look after. Puppy also marked when Victor got too much into his head, something Victor had never seen a dog do before. Was he a type of service dog? He was very talented if he was. 

The only thing plaguing Victor was the fact that he had been so convinced that he had started training objects with Yuuri because they were soulmates. He had researched it after his conversation with his neighbour, and apparently it wasn’t an uncommon phenomenon. Still, there was one problem.

To Victor’s knowledge, Yuuri didn’t have a dog. 

Still, Victor held onto hope, and one day it was answered.

He was laying in bed scrolling through his phone, Puppy resting tucked to his side. He was on Instagram, and came to a pause as a photo showed up on his feed. It was one from him following the #katsukiyuuri, and there on his screen sat the man who had flipped his entire existence upside down. He was on a bench, spring sun shining down on him. There was a cherry blossom tree above him, framing the photo perfectly. It wasn’t what caught Victor’s attention however. It was the dog sitting beside Yuuri, panting happily. 

Victor knew her anywhere. 

______________________

Yuuri tried to increase the speed of his steps, but Makka was faster, rushing forward from the beach towards Yu-topia. They had gone for a run, and even if Yuuri still hadn’t officially decided what he was going to do about skating, he had figured it couldn't hurt to pick up some training. Running with Makka was much more fun than running alone in Detroit, and it had become almost a daily occurrence by now for them to jog down to the beach, and then race along the waves, before heading back. Today was no different really, until the gate of Yu-topia came into view. 

Makka increased her pace, and Yuuri had a hard time keeping up with her. He felt winded, and even as he tried she rushed through the gate before him, barking happily. That was odd. Was Mari out there?

Another bark followed, and Yuuri’s chest felt odd. He pushed himself the last few meters, and then came to a stop just inside the gates to the main entrance. His eyes grew wide from the sight awaiting him. 

Makka was bouncing around a smaller dog, one so incredibly familiar to Yuuri. Vicchan looked so much the same, but seemed even smaller now next to Makka. Still, Yuuri’s heart swelled from the sight of his puppy, and he had to bring his hand up to press to his racing heart. 

They weren’t alone however. 

Victor Nikiforov stood there too, in the center of the courtyard of Yu-topia, Yuuri’s childhood home, looking like he belonged. He smiled lovingly down at the dogs, laughing as they played. He was gorgeous in every way, and Yuuri really couldn’t wrap his mind around him being there. He was just as bright as he always was when Yuuri looked at him, and he longed once again almost desperately to stand by his side. To reach out and be a part of his life.

Victor looked up and caught Yuuri’s gaze, and then he winked.

“Yuuri!” he said, and Yuuri thought his chest might explode from the fact that Victor knew his name and knew  _ him _ and that he was here playing with Yuuri’s dog…dogs? He had no idea anymore. “Only Aeroflot has kept me waiting as long as you have.”

“What?” Yuuri said, blinking rapidly. Had Victor been here long? They couldn’t have been out more than and hour and he had no idea Victor was even coming and-

“I mean, to ask someone to be their coach and then not call them for months is playing very hard to get Yuuri,” he said teasingly, and he was smiling but he looked stiff. Still, the words rushed over Yuuri like a cold wave. 

“What!?” he all but shouted, and Victor’s expression fell, crumbling apart before him.

“Oh,” Victor said, and then he turned away. There was true pain in his expression, and Yuuri couldn’t stand it. He rushed forward, but stopped himself just before he reached Victor, who looked back up at him with wide eyes.

“I don’t understand,” Yuuri said. “I don’t- Please tell me.”

___________________________

He took Victor inside, and since his entire family had already greeted Victor, introductions were quick. After that, his mother settled them in the family dining room, and served them Katsudon. Victor grinned widely as he ate with vigour, praising the dish endlessly. Makka and Vicchan were settled between them, cuddled up in a pile, and it was the cutest thing Yuuri had ever seen. 

After the food was eaten, Victor explained what had happened at the banquet after the GPF, and Yuuri felt his entire body flood with embarrassment from his actions. There was something off about it though, with how calmly happy Victor looked from retelling it all. He didn’t look scandalized or mortified from Yuuri’s behavior. He looked happy.

“It was one of the best nights of my life,” Victor said, and then he reached his hand out. Yuuri looked down at it, and something tugged in his chest to link their fingers together. He reached out carefully, and as their fingers brushed it all felt right. It was as if something missing inside him slotted into place. 

“Victor,” Yuuri breathed, and then couldn’t help but look up into Victor’s eyes. He was terrified to say the wrong thing, to do the wrong thing, but at the same time it felt like there was no turning back now. He knew what it meant, having Makka turn up at his childhood home, and Vicchan in Victor’s. Suddenly all of the things Yuuri thought he lost, all of the strange things appearing in the dorm, made sense. “Do you believe in soulmates?”

Victor’s face spread into a heart shaped smile, and Yuuri smiled too, his heart beating roughly against his ribcage.

“I think you’re mine,” Victor whispered, and Yuuri couldn’t contain himself then. He had always been impulsive, and he was now too. He leaned forward slowly, and then pressed his lips softly to Victor’s. He felt a gasp against his lips, and then Victor’s hand curled around his neck. Between them, the dogs that had finally brought them together slept. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
> [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


End file.
